TowardAmodelOfOrganizationsAsInterpretationSystems

Organizational Intrusiveness

Passive

Active

Assumptions about environment

Unanalyzable

UNDIRECTED VIEWING
Constrained interpretations, Nonroutine, informal data, Hunch, rumor, chance opportunities.

ENACTING
Experimentation, testing, coercion, invent environment. Learn by doing.

Analyzable

CONDITIONED VIEWING
Interprets within traditional boundaries. Passive detection. Routine, formal data.

DISCOVERING
Formal search. Questioning, surveys, data gathering. Active detection.

Organizational Intrusiveness

Passive

Active

Assumptions about environment

Unanalyzable

UNDIRECTED VIEWING

Scanning Characteristics:
1. Data sources: external, personal.
2. Acquisition: no scanning department, irregular contacts and reports, casual information.

Interpretation Process:
1. Much equivocality reduction
2. Few rules, many cycles

Strategy and Decision Making:
1. Strategy: reactor.
2. Decision process: coalition building.

ENACTING

Scanning Characteristics:
1. Data sources: external, personal.
2. Acquisition: no department, irregular reports and feedback from environment, selective information.

Interpretation Process:
1. Some equivocality reduction
2. Moderate rules and cycles

Strategy and Decision Making:
1. Strategy: prospector.
2. Decision process: incremental trial and error.

Analyzable

CONDITIONED VIEWING

Scanning Characteristics:
1. Data source: internal, impersonal.
2. Acquisition: no department, although regular record keeping and information systems, routine information.

Interpretation Process:
1. Little equivocality reduction
2. Many rules, few cycles

Strategy and Decision Making:
1. Strategy: defender.
2. Decision process: programmed, problemistic search.

DISCOVERING

Scanning Characteristics:
1. Data sources: internal, impersonal.
2. Acquisition: Separate departments, special studies and reports, extensive information.

Interpretation Process:
1. Little equivocality reduction
2. Many rules, moderate cycles

Strategy and Decision Making
1. Strategy: analyzer.
2. Decision process: systems analysis, computation.